If you are looking to add a little flair to your photos and happen to have a 3D printer laying around, you are in luck. Thanks to the YouTube channel Make Anything, you can now 3D print your own camera lens filter.
As seen in the six-minute video above, Devin Montes (the man behind Make Anything) shows how he used inspiration from an old project of his to create an all new lens filter with a few minor alterations made in his computer-aided design (CAD) software of choice, Solidworks.
Montes’ initial lens filter design worked out so well that he was inspired to further tweak his design so filters could be swapped out with one another without the need to create an all new lens cap for each design.
The final product uses interchangeable plates that snap into place using only tension. Once all of the plates were printed out, Montes shows how each of the filters affects images and videos of the camera they are attached to.
For the bokeh filters, each of the engraved designs makes the soft, out-of-focus light in an image to a specific shape. Montes showed a few examples using his logo, a spiral, and a few other designs. Another option is to cut out pieces of clear or colored plastic and place them inside the filter. These will certainly diminish the quality of the image, but if you are just looking for a fun little project, it is well worth trying out.
The best part about this whole project is Montes offers a free download of the basic lens filter design. A full kit, which includes 3D models for every component, can be purchased through his online store for only $2.
